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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23446288">Love shown through hair trials</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/255940g/pseuds/255940g'>255940g</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Bruce Bonds with his Children [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bad Parents Jack and Janet Drake, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Cute, Family Fluff, Fluff without Plot, Hair Braiding, Tim Drake is Like a Disney Princess, Tim Drake-centric, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Unreliable Narrator</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 13:46:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,531</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23446288</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/255940g/pseuds/255940g</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Bruce and Tim bond over Tim's new long hair.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Bruce Bonds with his Children [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1699840</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>143</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Love shown through hair trials</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t a big deal. In fact, it wouldn’t be a deal at all but for Tim it was important. A few months after Tim was permanently in Bruce’s care did the topic surface.</p><p>Coming into the informal dining room Bruce made the quick remark “Hey sweetheart, your hair has a bunch of split-ends, would you like to go to a barber and get those taken care of? We could make it an afternoon of it and go to the gardens or a zoo and you can take pictures. If we go early in the day we could possibly do both with the barber later in the afternoon or in the middle of the day whichever is most comfortable for you.”</p><p>Tim immediately took the offer of another way to get his hair healthy and the hours upon hours of time with his adopted Father. </p><p> </p><p>~A few months later after the first event~</p><p> </p><p>Bruce POV~</p><p>I noticed that Tim’s hair once again had dead ends. Once again I offered to make an afternoon out of it which he took eagerly. Even though it was short notice and this afternoon. </p><p> </p><p>~Almost a full year after the first event~</p><p>Bruce POV~</p><p>‘Tims hair is down to his shoulders now.’ I noted absently. Outloud I asked “Hey Tim, after breakfast may I try to braid your hair? I can’t promise that it will look in any way decent but I believe that it’s long enough to do those kinds of updos”</p><p>Although Tim didn’t look awake his head still snapped to look over at me with widened eyes and mouth gently opened in shock. </p><p>Backtracking just in case I was being too pushy “You can of course always decline, I have zero experience in anything hair related that’s not gently gelling it back.”</p><p>Tim shook his head quickly “No, no, no. I want you to try after breakfast. I was just, just surprised…”</p><p>Tim trailed off and looked back down at his plate in an uncomfortably familiar way that happened whenever a new facet of THe elder Drakes neglect. Putting down my utensils gently so as to not frighten Tim I reached out for one of his hands to hold. </p><p>That was something that I noticed helped to ground him outside of his head, physical touch of any kind. I should get him a specially trained dog to help with his anxiety. </p><p>Tim looked up and offered his right hand for me to hold. ‘That’s good. He is asking for help.’ I thought. </p><p>Taking that offered hand in both of mine I scooted to the side so I was a little closer to Tim and started rubbing over his knuckles anchoring him further. </p><p>Tim kept glancing between my eyes and the floor before centring himself and letting go to sit further back and swallowing “They didn’t like when  had my hair longer than my ears because it would get messy.”</p><p>I knew exactly who the ‘they’ were. I also recognised that Tim was sightly closing in on himself for some protection. ‘Definitely getting a trained dog soon’</p><p>“Which I know is ridiculous because they lost all rights to see me.” He continued</p><p>“But it’s still something that bothers you. So it’s surprising when I wish for you to be comfortable in your own skin and not care what your outward appearance is as long as you are happy with it.” I finished soothingly. </p><p>He nodded “Can-Can you try at least?”</p><p>Smiling softly and proudly at what Tim has overcome in the past year I replied enjoying the warmth that entered my chest “Of course. It can’t be all that difficult hopefully. Although if I do end up making your hair a big knot I reserve the right not to be blamed.”</p><p> </p><p>We both shared a small laugh while we finished breakfast. “Do you use a comb or an actual brush? Along that not can you get whatever supplies you normally use for your hair? We can meet in the second music room, the one that overlooks the roses and not the one that is extravagant. Then we can decide on a hairstyle to try out.”</p><p>Tim quickly nodded his head and scampered off quickly to get the items that he had. </p><p>I walked leisurely to the meeting room. I chose this one because Tim needed to be stimulated by the outside so he wouldn’t twitch and shuffle as much as he did while being forced to hold still. </p><p>Pulling out my phone, I scrolled through youtube hair tutorials to find one that I could possibly do while Tim would enjoy having something along the lines of it. </p><p>Not even 5 minutes of waiting and Tim came through the door. Although he was trying to mask his excitement It was still evident in the way his body language just screamed excitement and fun. </p><p>Showing the videos that I found that I believed that I wouldn’t mess up the most on we agreed to do a single french braid down the centre of his head. Tim amicably sat on a pillow on the floor while I sat on the couch that I positioned to be much closer to the large window so Tim could see outside easier. </p><p>I carefully tilted Tims head back so I could grab three almost equal strands of hair above his forehead. I took the left strand and flipped it over the centre one to become the new centre part. I then did the same with the right one to make it centre number 2. The only difference for the next time was to grab more hair from the side. It was shown and described much easier than the reality of grabbing more hair. But I made do and combined the new hair and the old portion to move over the middle strand. I continued that slow rhythm collecting the hair and folding them over the middle portion. Although there were times when Tim fidgeted quite often I knew that he was trying his best to be still and he enjoyed seeing Alfred begin the watering process of our garden. Once I was at the base of Tims’s head it became much easier to fold over the hair and I was willing to speed up as I had a better grasp on the technique.</p><p>Once I was done I took the offered stretchy band and wound it around the work that I did. It looked absolutely nothing like what it showed in the thumbnail but I was still exceptionally proud of what I was able to accomplish. Especially as I had zero experience to speak of. </p><p>“I’m done, Tim. It looks absolutely nothing like what was shown but it isn’t a big lump of a tangle. You know where the closest mirror is if you wish to see it.” I said.</p><p>Tim first felt it with his fingers before holding out his hands in a ‘pick me up’ gesture</p><p>Although I knew that Tim probably wanted aid in standing up I took the opportunity to completely lift him up and settle his surprised self on my hip. It was gangly and during the time when Tim was too shocked to respond a little awkward. However, coming over that shock he wrapped his arms loosely around my neck, his legs securely around my waist and laid his head against my shoulder. </p><p>“I can walk.” Came the feeble but obligated argument.</p><p>“But you are so cute and snuggly. Besides I can hopefully hide the horror that is on your head.” Came my amused response.</p><p>“But it didn’t feel like a tangle?” Came the confused reply/</p><p>“Doesn’t need to be a tangle for it to bee a horror,” I responded dryly.</p><p>Still, with an unprotesting Tim on my hip, I too his to one of the mirrors decorated around the manor. </p><p>Seeing himself, Tim quirked his head to the side in contemplation. Turning his head further to the side seeing the edges of the crooked braid...thing that I created. </p><p>Snapping his head to look at me Tim demanded “I need your phone as a second mirror. Also, take a picture of the top I wanna see it.”</p><p>I fished it out of my back pocket and took a picture showing Tim and then handed it to Tim and turned to the side so Tim could control what he saw. After staring it at what I did for a few minutes he declared “I’m keeping it in. We need to do this again You need to practice and work on it.”</p><p>“Alright sweetheart. Next week?” </p><p>Tim nodded decisively before laying his head back on my shoulder and beginning to play with the games that he downloaded on my phone. He did have his own phone but I enjoyed seeing the connection that we had. </p><p>Throughout the day I couldn’t help but being proud whenever I saw Tim still wearing the horrible braid.</p><p>For the next week, I was much better but it was also due to buying a wig and practising o the long hair there. I wanted Tim to be proud of what I helped him to do.</p>
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